In and Out of Life
by Anguish of My Love
Summary: Collection of unrelated drabbles. Because a life of a ninja is anything but normal and mundane. #1 Minato/Kushina. #2 Tsunade/Jiraiya #3 Anko #4 ChoIno #5 Hyuga Sis Love
1. Not Close Enough

**Disclaimer**: I don't even know the names of half the ninjutsus they do. What do you think?

**Title**: Not Close Enough

**Characters/Pairings**: Kushina, Minato, Minato/Kushina

**Summary**: "I'm the _hokage_," he says the word as if he wasn't sure whether he should hate it or not, "It gives trouble as much as it gives fame. Everything is at stake and everything that matters is used against you."

* * *

Kushina looks at Minato uncertainly and wonders if she should say it. She does anyhow. "Is there something wrong with…me?" She almost said us, but it didn't seem appropriate, there _was_ no us.

The blonde turns to her with a vague amount of surprise. "What?"

She turns away uncomfortably and wonders if she really wanted to do this, wasn't it such a touchy thing to talk about? She furrows her brows and feels the tiny emotion of embarrassment in the pit of her stomach. "Y-you…" she doesn't know what to say, there had always been a silent agreement that they wouldn't bring this up, let alone _converse_ about it (but conversing is a too casual way to say it, no?). "We…we've known each other for a while now, right?" More than a while, really. "We've….well, we've always been close." She turns away again and she hates acting so weak like this, wasn't she always so straightforward before? "But, when we get _too_ close, you pull away. As if, as if there was something stopping you, or as if…there was something _wrong_." She doesn't know what to say after that, so she doesn't. She looks down and wonders if she should look at him or not.

Minato doesn't know how to respond to this. He's the Fourth, and relationships aren't supposed to happen to hokages. It's an unwritten rule, and he knows what would happen if he went against it. He doesn't know if he should tell Kushina this.

He says this in the softest tones, "I don't want you to get hurt." He expects no less when Kushina snaps at him with the strongest glare.

"_Hurt?!_" she says with a bruised tone, "You don't want me to get _hurt_?" She's confused, angry, surprised, _hurt_. It's almost funny, he doesn't want to give her pain, and he was doing just that. "_Minato_," she almost yells, "What do you think you are? What do you think _I am_?" she hisses in upset.

She thrashes out the words, jumbled in raw emotion and confusion. "Minato, do you think I can't take care of myself? Am I that _stupid_? Or _weak_? Or what? Minato, what-I don't know if I should feel flattered, or hurt, or angry, or _anything_ anymore." She thinks of all those days wondering if she should bother, it was obvious Minato never wanted to get any closer than they were. But to think…to _imagine_ all that happening just because _he didn't want her to get hurt_? What was she? Some pathetic damsel in distress?

She continues to yell (she wasn't really, but then, honestly, it wouldn't have made much of a difference if she had) and panic and _hurt_ all over and Minato doesn't do anything but look at her with an expression Kushina couldn't see through unfocused eyes.

"You don't understand," he whispers almost harshly. She turns to him sharply, even more unsure and lost than before. "_What?_"

Minato gives back the look, nearly as sharply. Kushina is taken aback but she tries not to show it. "You don't understand," he repeats, and Kushina wonders if it's hesitation he hears in his voice. "I'm the _hokage_," he says the word as if he wasn't sure whether he should hate it or not, "It gives trouble as much as it gives fame. Everything is at stake and everything that matters is used against you. Hokages don't have a lot of relationships, personal ones, because anyone close enough to him can and will be used against him." It's almost like a lesson, Kushina thinks. He says it so formally and rigidly she remembers one of her teachers back in her hometown. But she sees his eyes and she wonders how much of hell he goes through. She's almost ashamed of being so selfish. "It's hell. You don't," he looks at her and his voice dies down his throat. He's forgotten he was talking to Kushina. Talking about _this_ to Kushina. He silently gulps.

"You don't know how much it hurts thinking you could be the reason they get harmed."

Kushina stares at him and a new wave of emotions come crashing down on her. She's finding it hard to keep contact with her eyes.

Minato continues. "I know you can take care of yourself," his voice is no louder than a whisper, "But how long? What if they catch you? What if they do something to you, and I…" Kushina bites her lip. "…and I wasn't fast enough to save you?"

_But I trust you to be._ She wants to say that, but she can't. She believes it, but she doubts Minato would. She stares at Minato and, for the first time since they met, he looks like a lost boy. She's not sure what to do, so she uncertainly steps closer to him. She wants to hug him, she's been wanting to do so much now, but she can't, it's not supposed to be done, it's not meant to be done. She tries to smile, but it's a weak one, and maybe it was a fake one, too, but she still smiles. "I won't let that happen." She wavers, "You're my best friend."

Minato forces out a smile. Kushina holds his hand.

And, in the end, they both try convince themselves that this was good enough. That this was what they really only wanted.

* * *

_These are a bunch of drabbles I think of randomly. Half the time, the characters are strangers to me. Naruto is the kind of anime that has every character and every relationship you can possibly think of (or atleast, it comes close) so I decided to write down teh good ones and make them fanfiction and post them. :D_

It was hard choosing the pairing for this scenario, this was the closest one I could think of. Naruhina isn't good for this, Naruto's not the type to think these things, at least, not in my eyes. Since nothing was better, I decided to just wing it and edit the whole thing over and change a few things to make it better. They're minor though, so it's still good.

After writing this down, I like this pairing more, they're fun to write together. Though I think I made them a little OOC, I don't really know, I don't exactly follow Naruto and all. ^^; Hurrah for Kushina! She needs more attention, Minato keeps hogging it all =3=.


	2. Reckless

**Title**: Reckless

**Characters/Pairings**: Tsunade, Jiraiya/Tsunade

**Summary**:

**

* * *

**

_A moment of weakness._

The wind picked up and, really, they weren't as refreshing or as cool as she really wanted them to be. The grass swayed and tickled and made the hokage's skin itch. She sighed.

Truthfully, Tsunade never really liked lying on grass, or fields, or anything else like that. But she just wants rest. She just wants to be alone and take a breath, or maybe a number of them.

She looked at the sky with squinted eyes. The clouds are passing by and, even though she can't see the sun, the sky is still so bright and so blue. Looking at the sky always made her feel idle, she smiled. But everything knocked from the back of her mind, and she's awake again.

She closes her eyes with eyebrows knitted. She's wanted a time to think, but it turns out, she's not ready to think just yet, either. She tugs on the grass and the sigh she sighs comes out sad and heavy. Her eyes are forced to look upwards.

_Why..._, she frowns, _Why so early?_ And she feels like laughing. Early? There was nothing early about today, or yesterday, or last month, or last year. Fuck, not even five years ago. It's been long, much too long, and hell, it didn't _feel_ like it.

She would've laughed now, if there wasn't a disgusting taste at the bottom of her throat. The clouds slowed and the damned white reminded her of his hair. God knows what she feels about that, what she feels about _him_. She loves him, she hates him, she tolerates with him, she just...he's him and she's her, and that was the only thing that ever mattered.

"You're...you're a...well, you're something, aren't you?" She meant to say bitch, bastard. She _wanted_ to say bastard, but she can't, and she didn't want to....Really. She wanted to talk to him with ease and a light heart and a smile, no matter how small. She bit her lip and took a sharp breath. "Just...fuck you, you know that? You left _everyone_, just like that. You left _Naruto_. You left _me_, for damn Christ's sake! Can't you just stop that for once?" She glared at the clouds as if they were him, and she could almost hear his chuckled. "You're not the hero anymore, you're not," she paused. Stupid tears. "You're not responsible for everything. You didn't have to," she sighed, "to kill yourself, just like that. You were so useless back then, why did you have to learn? Why did you have to believe yourself to be a hero?"

She closed her eyes and forced out a smile. "I just want to be...to be happy," and she choked on the last word, "I want to talk to you and be alright, for on goddamn time. And not...not be frustrated, or feel like," her smile grew and the tears were gathering, "...like I want to kill you again."

She hoisted herself up and pretended she was fine. She should be used to it by now, she should be able to deal with this better. But every time, _every fucking time_ she feels like she was young again, and she was holding the burden of living through the first death of someone she loved. She hated the vulnerability.

The ends of her mouth twitched up when the wind picked up and she could almost hear him chuckling at him. He's finally seen her all riled up again.

She laughed and choked on a sob at the same time. "Shut up, idiot."

The wind brushed her hair off her ears and she heard him murmur. "Only if you smile for real this time."

But the only thing she was able to do was cry.

* * *

_These are a bunch of drabbles I think of randomly. Half the time, the characters are strangers to me. Naruto is the kind of anime that has every character and every relationship you can possibly think of (or atleast, it comes close) so I decided to write down teh good ones and make them fanfiction and post them. :D_

I dunno. I'm weird. I thought of this while I was in Church (^^; 'scuse me), with _exactly_ Tsunade in the picture. I dunno.

I think I just like the thought that even Tsunade can have a moment of weakness. That, or I'm just sadistic .


	3. Baby

**Title**: Baby

**Characters/Pairings**: Anko, OC

**Summary**: Torture tasted so sweet. dark-ish.

The brunette cried, yelping and whimpering and sobbing until her whole body shook and her vision blurred from tears. She sniffed.

Anko rolled her eyes and tugged on the girl's—Saki was it?, or Suki?—hair harder. "Shut_ up_, you little bitch," she yanked the brown locks until its owner was barely inches away from her face. "Stop being so weak for a bloody second, ya worthless baby," she hissed. She glared, and paused. There was a wicked smile for a second. "Can't take anymore, sweetie?" she cooed, "Do you want Momma to make it better?" Anko took pleasure in the shivers that the girl couldn't stop. "Do you want Momma to kiss you and make all the hurt go away? Maybe I can get Papa, too, and make all the bad people go away."

The girl bit the inside of her bottom lip, she clenched her clothes and she couldn't even look at the woman in front of her anymore."Le-let..go.." she moaned.

The ninja had the urge to roll her eyes again—pathetic. Stupid, pathetic, weak.—but then she figured she'd just croon. "Don't worry, kitten. It'll all be better, I promise." She petted the girl's head, sliding her nails much too deep to be comforting. "And I never break promises."

The young woman's—no, Anko figured, not even close to a woman—face was covered with helplessness and fear, and Anko loved the way her face glistened in a mixture of sweat and tears. "Puh-_please_…leh-leave me uh-alo..one…" She closed her eyes shut and she whimpered even louder.

"But, darling," she purred, "isn't this," and her face grew unpleasant, "what you wanted?

* * *

_These are a bunch of drabbles I think of randomly. Half the time, the characters are strangers to me. Naruto is the kind of anime that has every character and every relationship you can possibly think of (or atleast, it comes close) so I decided to write down teh good ones and make them fanfiction and post them. :D_

I like Dark!Anko :3. This thing was much too short no? But then I didn't know what to do with it. I get this kind of scene popping in my head for god knows how long. I think it started four years ago. Or five. Or...I dunno.


	4. Game of Stares

**Title**: Game of Stares

**Characters/Pairings**: Temari, Ino, ChoIno

**Summary**: Because, apparently, their relationship was more or less just a game of stares.

* * *

"_Love is really just a game of stares." _ Temari suddenly remembers a certain jonin saying that to her one time.

Ino, who was sitting on a nearby chair, swiveled to face her direction. "What?"

Temari shrugs and plays with the pen in her hand. But the other blonde does not take that as an answer and glares and pouts (in a cute way, Temari would've said if she were outspoken enough to consider calling the same gender cute). Temari sighs and decides to reply, knowing Ino probably wouldn't stop until she gives a proper one.

"When you look at a person and they're not talking, there's always a reason, right? Atleast, _usually_," Ino nods and she carries on, remembering how Shikamaru explained to her these things, "Sometimes, it's because something happened. Sometimes because nothing _did_. Most of the time, it's because of feelings," she wrinkles her nose in mild disgust. She leans back a bit and props her feet on the table, the vague feeling of boredom tugging at the ends of her ponytails.

"You stare at someone when you love them, but, half the time, it's not that that's important, it's how that person responds to it," she can almost feel Ino tense all of a sudden. She can see from the corner of her eyes Ino adjusting awkwardly on the chair, and the tediousness suddenly leaves her body. She tries not to scrunch up her face, and remembers a certain brown-haired teammate of the Konoha nin.

She does not know Ino or Choji well enough, they're like people who are in the cross of friend and acquaintance, and she only knows the obvious things about them, being with them long enough to know of their antics, but never interacting good enough to know more. It's not much of a secret as it is a fact that Choji has feelings for Ino, and that Ino is not sure how to react to it. Temari isn't sure if she likes him or not.

She tries to word her next sentences right and ends up saying, "You look away more than you look back." She wasn't entirely sure if she meant people when she said you, and she had a feeling Ino wasn't either. Ino looks away with an unreadable look and expression, and she uncertainly continues on, wondering if she'll get an answer of her own, wondering if the other will, too. _Is she ready?_

"Shikamaru told me," she says slowly, "that you deny it when you turn away." She does not admit it, but she's almost as uncomfortable talking about it as Ino is. They're relationship was a whole lot more touchy than she could handle, the lazy ass would be a better person in her place. She's not even so close to them yet, and emotions have always been a far too delicate subject for her to take. She sighs inaudibly. "It hurts."

Temari takes her chances and looks at the girl. Her eyes are glassy and she almost wonders what the other is thinking, but she stops herself just in time. She's never been good with feelings, she's always acted on instinct, and she's not considered it much to give advice or even bother talking about it. Somehow, there's always been someone better to handle the job, she's just the girl kicking ass, really. What she has with Shikamaru isn't as mind-boggling as people would probably look for, or want. She only acted on instinct again, and there had always been this unsaid agreement, what is done is done. What Ino has, what Choji has, they're a totally different thing.

Temari looks up and wonders if she should call Sakura up, they had been close, right? And she's much more in tune with these emotions stuff, right? Ino looks like she needs someone to talk to, or someone to help out, and god knows _she's_ not the person for that.

Then she looks up and doesn't think when she asks, "Are you ready to look back?" Ino's head shoots up and, as if someone up there was watching, the boys enter the room with Choji happily eating barbeque and Shikamaru holding bottles of water with that blank look. Choji doesn't notice the unsettling silence before it disappears, but Temari knows Shikamaru did, but he doesn't say anything.

Ino follows Choji flop down on a nearby couch and Temari almost swears she can see from her eyes a tiny _yes_.

* * *

_These are a bunch of drabbles I think of randomly. Half the time, the characters are strangers to me. Naruto is the kind of anime that has every character and every relationship you can possibly think of (or atleast, it comes close) so I decided to write down teh good ones and make them fanfiction and post them. :D_

This was actually hard doing. It was initially supposed to be Shikamaru instead of Temari, but I just couldn't _make it IC_. First try, he was _overly_ emotional. Second try, he was too _un_emotional. I didn't really wanna try another time so I decided to put Temari in. I like it. Temari and Ino. 's good :3.

I don't really know how I should feel for this particular drabble. Oh well. The others weren't particularly good either.


	5. A Moment of Silence

**Title**: A Moment of Silence

**Characters/Pairings**: Hinata, Hanabi, Hyuga Sister Love

**Summary**: The best moments are in silence.

* * *

Hanabi watched their pond and the fish in it with slightly unfocused eyes. Otou-sama was in a meeting with the elders and Neji-nii was on a mission with his team. Her back was straight and her hands were placed neatly on top of her thighs, her hair was braided by a branch member, Saki.

She closed her eyes briefly, listening intently at the sounds of rippling water. She relaxed for a moment as she lost herself in their homemade garden. Her lips twitched, she heard her mother and a few members, both from the main and the branch, liked decorating the mansion. She thought they did a wonderful job.

Her ears perked up when she heard distant thumps of steps. She turned to see her sister holding a tiny tray and wearing her white thin kimono. She noticed a few beads of sweat on Hinata's body and she returned her smile with a tiny one.

The future heiress (because she was content in thinking Hinata was the next in line, it seemed right)wordlessly handed her a cup of iced juice, almost reassuringly in Hanabi's eyes. She answered with a nod and she heard shuffling from her side and knew that Hinata-nee was sitting by her and sipping her own cup as well.

The hot summer winds blew and Hanabi felt that they only made the atmosphere even more uncomfortable and wished it would rain soon. Hinata adjusted and went nearer to Hanabi but only found her, Hinata, closer warmth a comfort. She felt like she should smile.

Her eyes travelled down to her cup, and the ripples on the water grew louder. The breeze caught up and Hanabi sweated just a little more. She drank the juice and she felt Hinata's warm eyes on her. That is when she let herself relaxed. She hunched her back and her arms went limp and she had a tiniest and softest smile on her face. At the back of her mind, she noted that Hinata chuckled quietly. She let her smile grow.

* * *

_These are a bunch of drabbles I think of randomly. Half the time, the characters are strangers to me. Naruto is the kind of anime that has every character and every relationship you can possibly think of (or atleast, it comes close) so I decided to write down teh good ones and make them fanfiction and post them. :D_

Inspired when me and my little sister sat outside our house (but inside the gate) on a bench (which I have no idea where it came from). The atmosphere was quiet and content, and I got thinking. Of course, Mia was watching in our iPod and I was listening to music in my cellphone, so it was technically not the same ;).


End file.
